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Posts tagged 'Florida Panthers' (Page 11)

Posts Tagged ‘Florida Panthers’

Sitting Down With Steve Donner of the Rochester Americans

August 18, 2008 - By

On Saturday afternoon Steve Donner took some time to sit down with a group fans in the middle of August in the Amerks locker room to discuss the past and future of the team.  It was a great opportunity for everyone, how often does an owner/president/whatever his role is now sit down with fans to discuss hockey.  The discussion was enlightening and brought back a sense of optimism after the worst season in Amerks’ history.

All topics were touched on from the Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers, the affiliation, new ownership, money, veterans, leadership, coaches, pride, tradition, politics, advertising, marketing, concessions, jerseys, radio, and even the television broadcasts.  I’ll break things down into categories and still hope all of this information is not all over the place.

Affiliation

The discussion of who wanted to be a sole affiliate and who wanted the dual has gone back and forth for some time.  The Buffalo Sabres were right in saying they wanted to be the sole affiliate with the Amerks and even wanted a long term agreement, the catch was that they could then bring in a sub affiliate that they controlled.  So, technically they would have been the sole affiliate.  More on [...]Read More

Tags: ι ι ι ι ι Categories: Amerks, Headlines

Florida Panthers Release 08/09 Schedule

July 17, 2008 - By

The Florida Panthers released the 08/09 regular season schedule today, they’ll be playing the Sabres in Buffalo on March 12th and March 25th.  Another game nearby that’d be worth checking them out at is on Saturday January 3rd in Pittsburgh.  This is the last season The Igloo (or Melon Arena) will be open, a great opportunity for Panthers fans to watch the team and also visit that arena one last time.  View Complete Schedule

Tags: ι ι Categories: Amerks

Stefan Meyer Accepts Panthers Offer

July 10, 2008 - By

Stefan Meyer accepted the Florida Panthers offer today to continue playing for the organization.  The terms of the contract aren’t known to LetsGoAmerks at this time, but we have to assume he will be in Rochester once again for the upcoming season.  Meyer was a key player last season playing in 70 games where he notched 21 goals and 19 assists for 40 points.  We can’t wait to have him back this year!

Tags: ι ι Categories: Amerks, Headlines, Players

Amerks Look To Panthers as Free Agency Begins

July 1, 2008 - By

The wishlist for Rochester Americans fans for the upcoming season includes some veteran forwards, defenseman, goaltending, and a player to bring some toughness to the team.  The free agency market begins today and with indications from the Florida Panthers camp that they will be supplying all players for the Amerks this upcoming season, all eyes are on them throughout the rest of the summer to see who they’ll sign.

The Panthers did extend contract offers to restricted free agents Stefan Meyer, Drew Larman, Anthony Stewart, and Martin Lojek.  Even though Lojek has signed to play overseas in the upcoming season, the Panthers extended him an offer in order to retain his rights should he decide to come back.

In order for the Amerks to be successul in the upcoming season it is that simple in terms of bringing in some experience.  It could be debated that had the Amerks had some veteran leadership on the team last season it may have helped the young prospects get through a terrible season.

We need a goaltender to work with Tyler Plante and give the defense some confidence that when they screw up someone will be behind them to help out.

We need an enforcer that knows [...]Read More

Tags: ι ι ι Categories: Amerks, Headlines

Panthers Trade Jokinen, Effects Amerks

June 20, 2008 - By

The NHL held it’s 2008 entry level draft on Friday night in Ottawa and the night did indirectly impact the Amerks.

Olli Jokinen has been on the chopping block in Florida almost every season for the past eight years.  This year it actually happened.  The Florida Panthers traded Olli Jokinen to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for defenseman Keith Ballard (21 points in 82 games in the 2007-08 season with Phoenix), defenseman Nick Boynton (12 points in 79 games last season) and the 49th overall pick.

The Florida Panthers still didn’t have a first round draft pick this season.  So, the first draft day was only truly interesting to major Amerks’ fans through any trades the Panthers made.

This lowers the possibility that Panther prospect Shawn Matthias will ever see time in a Rochester Americans uniform.  The Panthers will be in desperate need for some scoring and Matthias has the possibility to fulfill that role.  In four games with the Panthers last season he scored two goals.  It does open the door even further for the Panthers to sign a veteran center to lead the Amerks.

With the Panthers trading for two defenseman, the chances of current defensive prospects making the jump to the show [...]Read More

Tags: ι ι ι Categories: Amerks

Affiliation and Lease Announcement

June 18, 2008 - By

For the past six months Amerks fans have heard an announcement would be made in “a week to ten days,” or “within the next month,” on Thursday June 19 we’ll finally get a press conference.  The Florida Panthers will be the sole affiliate of the Rochester Americans.  The City of Rochester has reached a lease agreement with the Amerks.  And we’ll finally get the chance to formally meet the new ownership.

The announcement will be made at 3pm Thursday at the arena atrium.  According to the Democrat and Chronicle the following people will be in attendance:

New owner Curt Styres and business partner Lewis Staats, Rochester Mayor Robert J. Duffy, Florida Panthers scout Jack Birch, American Hockey League vice president of marketing Chris Nikolis, National Lacrosse League commissioner Jim Jennings and arena general manager Jeff Calkins.

It has been a rough six months being an Amerks fan.  We didn’t know if the team would ever be purchased.  We didn’t know if the City of Rochester would ever negotiate a new lease with the team.  Many of us were confident things would work themselves out, but there was that chance we wouldn’t have AHL hockey in Rochester for the coming season.

[...]Read More

Tags: ι ι ι Categories: Amerks

Sabres Affiliation ‘Days Away’ from Being Over

June 3, 2008 - By

It has been known since December 2007 that the Buffalo Sabres affiliation with the Rochester Americans was near an end after 29 years. Now, Darcy Regier says an announcement is days away. The announcement is the Buffalo Sabres are signing an agreement with the Portland Pirates.

A number of people have questioned whether it was really over, but news of the past few days has made everything all but official.

The Portland Pirates were previously affiliated with the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks have now reached an agreement to be the NHL affiliate of the Iowa Stars.

With that deal official, Regier said Monday he soon will reveal plans about his team’s future.

The Iowa Stars were previously affiliated with the Dallas Stars. A spokesman for the Dallas Stars, who ended their affiliation with the Iowa Stars after two seasons, said last week the team will assign its minor league players to two AHL teams next season. Those two teams being the Portland Pirates and Iowa Stars.

So the Buffalo Sabres will be back to sharing an affiliation with an AHL team.

All of this opens the door for the Florida Panthers to be the sole NHL parent team of the [...]Read More

Tags: ι ι ι ι Categories: Amerks

A Day at Florida Panthers Rookie Camp

May 31, 2008 - By

It seems rather odd to have spent the day at the Florida Panthers rookie camp, and then made it home in time to watch game four of the Stanley Cup finals.  The Panthers have begun planning for next season while the 07/08 season hasn’t even ended.

We made the road trip to not only get our fix of hockey, but to also check out many likely players that will fill the Rochester Americans lineup next season (assuming the Panthers become the sole affiliate).

Speaking of the affiliation, any player that was on the Amerks team last season showed a great sigh of relief when asked about last season.  All were happy that it’s over and are already focusing on next year.  I did ask if anyone had heard anything about the affiliation being made official and heard two responses, “it’s up in the air,” and “within a couple of weeks.”  All things that we have heard before.

One way to speculate that it’s more or less a done deal is that Amerk equipment manager Peter Bureaux was working the camp and dressed in Panther gear.

We had previously mentioned that it was a sort of “pre rookie” camp, but it in fact is rookie [...]Read More

Tags: Categories: Headlines, Panthers

Mike Caruso Signs with Panthers

May 24, 2008 - By

From GuelphStorm.com: Mike Caruso Signs with Panthers

The Florida Panthers signed defenceman Mike Caruso to an entry-level contract on Thursday.
The 20-year-old Caruso, a 2006 fourth-round pick by the Panthers, recently completed his fourth full season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Guelph Storm.

The Mississauga native totaled 34 points, 10 goals and 24 assists in 62 games played and led the team in plus minus with a +21 rating.

Assuming the Florida Panthers are the Amerks’ affiliate next season, there is a good chance that Michael Caruso could be seen in Red, White and Blue within the next season or two.The Florida Panthers have now signed all but one of their 2006 draft picks who need to be signed by May 31st.  This is important because if they fail to do so, they could lose those players and they go back into the draft-pool.

The last player they need to sign is left wing, Michael Frolik.  He was the Panthers’ 10th overall draft pick in 2006.  Frolik has 138 points (55 goals, 83 assists) in 97 games with the QMJHL’s Rimouski Oceanic over the last two Seasons.  Most scouts believe he will [...]Read More

Tags: ι Categories: Headlines, Panthers

Panthers Sign Brady Calla

May 21, 2008 - By

Assuming the Florida Panthers sign back on as an affiliate of the Amerks we should expect to see Calla be in an Amerks uniform in the 08/09 season.

SUNRISE, Fla. “ Florida Panthers General Manager Jacques Martin announced today (May 20, 2008) that the club has agreed to terms on an entry level contract with RW Brady Calla.

Calla, 20, played in 52 games with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League after being traded from the Moose Jaw Warriors, for Panthers prospect D Keaton Ellerby, 16 games into the 2007-08 season. With the Blazers, Calla had 30 points (10-20-30) and 52 penalty minutes. Calla played in 39 games for Moose Jaw during the 2006-07 season, scoring 32 points (12-20-32) in 39 games. In four playoff games this spring for the Blazers, Calla had two assists.

Brady is a young prospect who works hard, has defensive responsibility and plays with a physical presence, said Martin.  We are very pleased to have signed a high-character individual like Brady and we look forward to his continued development and growth into a complete player within our organization.

The 6-foot-0, 190-pound right wing, played for Team Canada and won the gold medal [...]Read More

Tags: ι Categories: Panthers

MacArthur Back, Stewart to Florida

December 1, 2007 - By

With Adam Mair back in the Buffalo Sabres’ lineup tonight, Clarke MacArthur has been reassigned to Rochester.  Anthony Stewart was called up to the Florida Panthers today.

Tags: ι ι ι ι ι Categories: Amerks

Everblades Receive Nasby, Tuma From Panthers

October 3, 2007 - By

October 2, 2007 ESTERO, Fla. – The Florida Everblades announced that the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League have reassigned defensemen Martin Tuma and Bret Nasby to the club.The Everblades are the ECHL affiliate of the Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL and the Rochester Americans and the Albany River Rats of the American Hockey League.

Selected in the fifth round (162nd overall) by Florida in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft and under NHL contract to the Panthers, the 22-year-old Tuma had nine assists and 77 penalty minutes in 32 regular season games and six penalty minutes in three Kelly Cup Playoff games for the Everblades in 2006-07 while also playing in the AHL where he had 33 penalty minutes in 23 regular season games and appeared in one playoff game for Rochester.

Selected in the fifth round (152nd overall) by Florida in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft and under NHL contract to the Panthers, the 21-year-old Nasby had four points (1g-3a) and 19 penalty minutes in 31 games for the Everblades.

Source

Tags: ι ι ι ι ι Categories: Panthers

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